Under the TableHuntsville-area restaurant reviews and news from Mike Kaylor of The Huntsville Times.

February 24, 2009, 10:37PM

English is a second language. Appetizers on the menu are called antojitas Mexicanos. Beer is birongas. Huaraches are a specialty quite foreign to Huntsville. Taqueria Las Piñas is about as authentic as a Mexican restaurant can be in the Rocket City. The server may or may not be able to describe the specialties for customers. Full story »

February 19, 2009, 2:31PM

Make no apologies. The torn padding on booths is left over from previous restaurants. So is the garish wallpaper border depicting comical chefs. And you can't really use the word faux in describing the fake bricks painted on green walls. The decor is a hodgepodge of leftovers. Not the food, though. Grill Master can't be judged on appearance alone. Full story »

February 19, 2009, 2:27PM

Mama Blues is coming to Madison later this spring. This is a country buffet concept introduced last year in Decatur by the original founder of Barnhill's Buffet. The Madison restaurant will be on County Line Road in the sprawling Publix shopping center. It will take up half of a separate building that also houses Bunzo's seafood restaurant. Full story »

February 12, 2009, 2:47PM

Spring will blossom with a new neighborhood hangout for South Memorial Parkway. Bishop's South Side Pub & Grill is coming to the old Sandman's Motel, which was remodeled a decade ago as Villa Fiore Italian restaurant. The words South Side in its name are to differentiate this eatery from its sister establishments on U.S. 231-431 North and on Winchester Road. Full story »

February 12, 2009, 2:39PM

Thirteen years ago, a Chinese restaurant called Dragon Garden opened quietly on Huntsville's western edge in a bustling shopping strip at University Drive and Rideout Road. The city was just beginning to sprawl westward with a new Wal-Mart across the street. Dragon Garden was almost hidden among the building supply and specialty shops in the development. Full story »

February 08, 2009, 12:19AM

TANNER - Think bar and grill, and the mind conjures up visions of a cozy room with smoke curling toward the ceiling. Fried mozzarella and greasy burgers might be the main menu fare. Mooresville Bar and Grill defies any such stereotypes. It is spacious and rustic with a family restaurant atmosphere. Its lunch buffet is a major attraction, changing from... Full story »

February 08, 2009, 12:15AM

Dozens of restaurants in Huntsville are older than downtown's Jazz Factory, but few have made such an impact on individuals and the city in general as this upscale eatery. So it is with sadness that owners Steve Wang and Gevara Teebi will be packing up and taking their culinary talents west. The Jazz Factory may soon be just a memory.... Full story »

January 22, 2009, 9:59AM

Over one counter is a deli menu. Around the corner, a sign advertises pizza. The concept can be confusing. Madison's newest fast-food restaurant isn't really that complicated, though. In fact, it's quite comfortable. Noble Roman's Pizza and Tuscano's Italian Style Subs is a mouthful to digest. But once inside the door, customers feel as much like family as the... Full story »

January 22, 2009, 9:52AM

Mortgage meltdowns, rising unemployment rates and general uneasy economic times are flavoring Huntsville's restaurant scene. New menus with lower prices are enticing diners to some eateries, while tighter budgets signal the end for others. Full story »

January 19, 2009, 2:23PM

Huntsville residents spent many years yearning for good and innovative restaurants. Their wishes have come true in the 21st century. Huntsville has become Alabama's hotbed as a restaurant proving ground. My name is Mike Kaylor, and I've watched the transition. Full story »

January 15, 2009, 11:30AM

Spicy chicken wings, a juicy burger, smothered chicken breast and hefty steak are the basics for a neighborhood grill. Fancy salads, tender pork ribs and bacon-wrapped shrimp make it even better. Carson's Grille hopes to become the Hampton Cove community's favorite hangout. It has a reasonably priced list of lunch sandwiches, a varied dinner menu and live entertainment on... Full story »

January 14, 2009, 10:58PM

Carson's Grille is this week's restaurant review in GO:Your good Times magazine. It is in Huntsville's Hampton Cove community on the northeast corner of U.S. 431 and Old U.S. 431. The restaurant is owned and operated by Steve Perreault. Full story »

January 08, 2009, 8:16AM

EDITOR'S NOTE: El Olmeca is no longer located in Southern Charm Village. Lively Hispanic tunes fill the air. The walls are painted shades of blue, green, orange and yellow. Cheerful decorations depict the sun and moon. Tables have glass tops over inlaid hand-carvings. The atmosphere is festive. El Olmeca has its own special attraction. Servers are quietly attentive and... Full story »

January 08, 2009, 8:11AM

Pay $11.99 for a ribeye steak dinner. A foot-long Philly cheesesteak costs $6.99, and a quarter-pound hamburger is $2.99. Now these are prices suited to today's financial meltdown. Name of the restaurant is Grill Master. It is on the corner of Oakwood Avenue and Meridian Street. Full story »

January 01, 2009, 8:17AM

Four businessmen at a window table are having an impromptu wine tasting. They summon the sommelier for a different bottle. The owner is leaning on the bar laughing and chatting with guests. New faces keep showing up at the hostess stand without reservations. After all, this is Tuesday night. Sixty minutes earlier, Cotton Row Restaurant in downtown Huntsville was... Full story »